In a world of ever increasing smart devices and smarter technologies, the internet of things (IoT) proposes that everyday objects and devices (e.g., light bulbs, washing machines and cameras) are to have an internet connection, where these objects are enabled to send and/or receive data to and from other devices, thus forming a larger network of connected things (i.e., objects and devices). The IoT promises smarter homes and work environments where all the objects are seamlessly connected and controlled for easier and more convenient operation.
An important aspect of the devices of the IoT is their initial pairing and setup to join the internet. Conventionally, devices that are connected to the internet are connected by joining a WiFi™ network via a WiFi™ router. For example, computers or smart phones are connected via the use of a service set identifier (SSID) and passphrase that are unique to the WiFi™ router that are typed into the computer or the smart device by the user to enable the device to join the WiFi™ router and hence the WiFi™ network. Most of the devices that users have been connecting to WiFi™ routers have had rich computing resources (e.g., displays, keyboards, and other components that make entering the information for a secure connection relatively easy).
However, most of the proposed devices and objects of the IoT being added to the internet from homes, offices, commercial spaces, and industrial facilities are quite small and don't have a display or convenient data entry capability to allow users to configure them. Thus, the devices need to be configured by a smarter device that can transmit the necessary configuration information to join the WiFi™ network. For example, if a user wants to pair an IoT device (e.g., an IP-Camera) with his smart phone, to enable the user to remotely operate the camera from his smart phone, the user needs to enable the IoT device to join the WiFi™ network first. There are a few options to do so; for example, the user might be able to establish a direct connection between the IoT device and the user's smart phone device. The direct connection may be a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) connection, an Eye camera connection, a Quick Response (QR) connection, or a sound-wave enabled connection.
However, these connections have their limitations. For example, most require that the IoT device is within the reach of the user and/or do have a direct line of sight. For example, if a user wants to enable a large number of light bulbs into the network then this will raise a challenge, one due to the number of bulbs to be connected and another for location of the light bulbs and their accessibility. Another limitation, for example, is when the user has more than one IoT device that needs to be added to the WiFi™ network. This implies that the user has to enable the devices one device at a time for all the IoT devices to join the WiFi™ network. The inconvenience of adding IoT devices one at a time and the cost that arises from the need for additional hardware within the IoT device to enable the IoT devices into the WiFi™ network presents challenges to the new and upcoming IoT technology, especially for older already existing WiFi™ routers that are part of older than the 802.11AP WiFi™ standard (e.g., 802.11a). Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a more efficient and convenient approach to connect IoT devices to the WiFi™ network.